Monthly Archives: April, 2011

Wow. These teams don’t lose. Carolina tightened the screws again last night against Detroit, and now the Rangers might have to win both of their remaining games. The Hurricanes are not only two points back, but they tied the Rangers in the first tiebreaker, regulation/OT wins. So if they are…

Which, for youse guys, means “Go Wings” time. Since ilb asked for a separate thread … ps, got this from the NHL, just to accentuate how crazy the end of this season actually is: FANTASTIC FINISH AHEAD FOR ULTRA-COMPETITIVE 2010-11 NHL SEASON NEW YORK (April 6, 2011) — With just…

This really isn’t going to be easy in any way, is it? Not for the Canadiens. Not for the Baby Buffaloes. Not for the Hurricanes. And certainly not for the Rangers. These teams all seem to win every time they have to win. As you know, Montreal defeated Chicago in…

We expect the update on Ryan Callahan shortly. Apparently it is not good news, probably a break from blocking the Zdeno Chara shot. Sean Mayer, LoHud’s sports editor, will update here when it is announced. I’m stuck at appointments all afternoon. UPDATE, 1:53 p.m.: Sean here. This is the official…

I am done. I will no longer try to convince anybody that this team is different than any Rangers team we’ve seen since, 1997, at least; more probably since 1994. That this team works harder, does more little things to win, and does it with a resolve and a resilience.…

Sorry it’s a bit late … I’m on the train. Ain’t technology grand? … Prospal ripped the fans a bit for their booing early in the game. Good stuff. Vinny Prospal: “There’s no easy games left. … I was watching Carolina-Buffalo yesterday, it’s a three-point game. Everybody’s collecting points. So…

John Tortorella: “We’ve been this way all year long. We haven’t played, as I’ve said, a lot of bad games. You know, we had one on the Island the other night; we’ve had a few of them along the way, but the team has balls. It has had balls all…

More to come shortly … maybe not as many as usual, because of the late start and I have to catch a train. Or maybe much later if I can type on the train. From the Rangers: NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES April 4, 2011 – New York…

Same lineup unless Fedotenko (presumably) can’t go after warmups. Then Kris Newbury would play. Otherwise, Newbury and Matt Gilroy are prucha’d. Lundqvist starts his career-high 23rd game in a row. And we all know what’s at stake, so no need to say much more. No other relevant games tonight. Magic…

First the news, followed by quotes in a little bit: Same lineup, unless one of the dinged-up guys (presumably Fedotenko, but not definitely) can’t play. As of now, John Tortorella expects everybody to play, and Newbury was brought up for “precautionary” reasons. Another item, which has been mis-reported (and then…

Don’t forget the later start, thanks to this being a Versus telecast. That means Tortorella pre-game press conference is half an hour later, too. Here are the pre-game notes, courtesy of the Rangers: NEW YORK RANGERS vs. BOSTON BRUINS Monday, Apr. 4, 7:30 p.m. Madison Square Garden • New York,…

I’m wondering if Ruslan Fedotenko might be hurt, or somebody else. Or if they just want a fresh body with some jam against the Bruins. Though I am guessing the Rangers had to have an injury to make this move. —————– Just had an interesting thought about Zuccarello’s demotion. If…

Has there been a game this season that better defined these Rangers, the It’s Just Paingers? In a game, let’s face it, they pretty much had to win, they played with all those characteristics we’ve seen most of the year: The shot blocking, the body checks, the PK, the struggle…

I was thinking this: If the Rangers had gone 6-3-1 in their previous 10, instead of 8-1-1, and then they had won their last two games, they’d be in the exact same position as they are today. And there wouldn’t be this widespread panic and anxiety. Funny how that works.…

So how was everybody’s Saturday night? What’s that? Carolina won? Montreal won? Buffalo got a Bettman Bonus Point? Not so good, then, huh? I thought, boy, the Islanders really did play hard against the Hurricanes; full marks to them, though you probably weren’t thrilled when Jack Capuano pulled his goalie.…

All season long the Rangers have shown us what they’re made of, what kind of heart and soul and character they have built into this identity. It’s Just Pain, they said. It’s about playing together and picking up each other, and about playing the right way, from beginning to end,…

Here’s the announcement from the NYR: NEW YORK RANGERS TRANSACTION UPDATE New York, April 1, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Mats Zuccarello has been assigned to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL). Zuccarello, 23, has registered six…

1) Mats Zuccarello is Whaled. I hope the kid just had the jitters after being scratched for a few games, but I don’t get how he can be demoted so quickly after a bad game. But I did think to myself during the game, he looks like he’s playing as…

Apparently there is a chance the Rangers can recoup those two points from last night. The NHL is investigating whether the Islanders used an illegal lineup in the game, and it could result in a forfeit of the two points … though I’m not sure if the two points would…